1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector and more particularly, to an electrical connector comprising a wire connected terminal housed within a terminal housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electrical connector comprising a wire connected terminal housed within a terminal housing is widely used for connection in appliances such as vehicles, electronic computers, automatic vending machines, etc. As well known, mutual insertion in a mating fashion of paired electrical connectors, each comprising a connecting terminal housed in a housing, accomplishes mutual connection of the terminals. In such connectors, it is strictly required for the terminal to be retained securely in a given position of the housing. Otherwise, the connector may not function properly, because the connectors may not be mated with each other, and thus connection of the terminals may be incomplete. Also, the connector must not allow the terminals to be disengaged from a given position of the housing while paired electrical connectors are engaged with and disengaged from each other repeatedly.
A typical prior art connector of interest is shown in section in FIG. 1. The connector of FIG. 1 comprises a terminal 1 retained within a housing 2. The terminal 1 is provided with a mating portion 1a at its front end matable with a terminal of an opposite connector (not shown), a wire connecting portion 1b at its rear end, and a portion 1c between these portion 1a and 1b closely fitted by a wall of an aperture of the housing 2, such that the terminal 1 may be prevented or restrained from movement in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the terminal 1. On the other hand, the forward movement (in a left direction in FIG. 1) of the terminal 1 along its axial direction is prevented or restrained by a projection 1d provided behind the portion 1c, while the rearward movement (in a right direction in FIG. 1) of the terminal 1 along its axial direction is prevented or restrained by two tongues 1e and 1e' disposed forwardly of the portion 1c and extending rearwardly and outwardly. Thus, it is understood that a tongue forming portion 1f is provided between the mating portion 1a and the portion 1c. The terminal 1 is normally made from a thin metal sheet through stamping and bending processes. In engaging the terminal 1 into the housing 2, the terminal 1 is inserted from the rear of the housing 2, namely, the right side in FIG. 1. The projection 1d on the terminal 1 contacts the rear shoulder portion of an aperture 2a holding the portion 1c of the terminal 1 in the housing 2, and simultaneously the rear ends of the tongues 1e and 1e' open outwardly so that the terminal 1 is fixedly secured in the housing 2 in such a manner that the aperture 2a holds the portion 1c, and the tongue rear end and the projection 1d are engaged with the front edge and the rear edge of the aperture 2a, respectively. It is to be understood that the connector illustrated is provided with a pin-shaped mating portion 1a. An opposite connector with which the connector illustrated mates will be provided with a receptacle-shaped mating portion which is to receive the pin-shaped mating portion 1a.
Such a connector as described hereinabove has the following disadvantages. A first problem is that the full length of the terminal 1 becomes larger undesirably by the length corresponding to the tongue forming portion 1f, since the tongues 1e and 1e' have been disposed between the mating portion 1a and the portion 1c. Another problem is that the distance from the front end of the portion 1c to the front end of the mating portion 1a becomes longer, so that the holding of the terminal 1 becomes uncertain and the mating portion 1a of the terminal 1 may swing, thus resulting in uncertain mating of paired connector. Still another problem is that the distance from the wire connecting portion 1b to the mating problem 1a becomes longer, which requires that a full length of the housing be longer, and besides the terminal 1 is made of a thin sheet, so that an electrical resistance thereof becomes higher, which is not desirable from a viewpoint of electrical characteristic.